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The rumored "Highland" refresh of the Tesla Model 3 is now a reality.

On Friday, Tesla started selling the new Model 3 in Europe and China; in the U.S., only the old version is available.

Called simply Model 3, the new car is a very significant improvement compared to the original, with tons of changes both outside and under the hood.

Changes on the outside

The car has a redesigned, slightly lower front end and narrower headlights, which not only gives it a slightly sportier look, but also improves the aerodynamics. This helps bring the range up to 629 km (391 miles) on the Long Range, all-wheel drive variant, and 513 km (319 miles) on the regular, rear-wheel drive variant. Prior to the refresh, these numbers were 602 km (374 miles) and 491 km (305 miles), so we're looking at a roughly 5 percent improvement.

The Tesla sign replaces the T logo. Credit: Tesla

Have in mind that these are the numbers I'm seeing on Tesla's European sites; EPA estimates in the U.S. are likely to be lower, but the improvement will likely be roughly similar across the board.

New hubcaps on the 18-inch Photon wheels. Credit: Tesla

The rear end has also been changed, with a TESLA sign replacing the "T" logo, and new, pincer-like tail lights also giving the Model 3 a slightly more aggressive look. From the side, not much has changed, though the wheel choice is now between the 18-inch Photon wheels with new black hubcaps, and the 19-inch, silver-colored, aluminum Nova wheels.

Note that the range goes up to 678 km (422 miles) with the 18-inch Photon wheels and the Long Range version, and 554 km (344 miles) if you choose those same wheels and the Rear-Wheel Drive variant.

The car now comes with a new set of tires: the Hankook Ion, which should also help reduce road noise and improve range. According to Tesla, the overall ride quality has also been helped by the car's stiffer body as well as updated suspension tuning.

Two new colors are also on offer: The Ultra Red is replacing the Red-Multi-Coat, and Stealth Grey is replacing the Midnight Silver Metallic. Tesla says both colors are designed to "change with viewing angle & lightning."

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Changes on the inside

Tesla upgraded a lot of things inside the car as well, with some changes being quite unexpected.

Bigger display and...is that ambient LED lighting?Credit: Tesla

The center touchscreen now has smaller bezels and more usable screen space; more precisely, the display's diagonal has grown from 15 to 15.4 inches. On the photos, it looks similar to the display in the new Model S and Model X, but that one is still bigger at 17 inches. Tesla says the new screen is brighter with higher contrast, and more responsive.

Then there's the entirely new, 8-inch rear display, allowing passengers in the back to control the air conditioning and watch the car's entertainment. The sound has also been improved, with the number of speakers growing from 14 to 17. The Long Range model fares slightly better here, as it has two subwoofers and two amps, compared to the single amp on the Rear-Wheel Drive model.

The front seats are now comfier, Tesla says, and ventilated, while the rear seats are also comfier and perforated but not ventilated. And yes, the car now has customizable, ambient LED lighting.

The 360-degree acoustic glass means a quieter interior. Credit: Tesla

The company also says the car has improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, bringing better performance for the phone key, as well as improved mics which should improve sound during calls.

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Finally, Tesla says that the new acoustic glass contributes to significantly less road and wind noise.

Stuff that's missing

It's not all great. For example, parking sensors are gone for good, in line with Tesla's decision to have the car rely on camera vision alone. Another thing that's missing are the stalks around the steering wheel, meaning the gear selector is now on the car's touchscreen (just as it is on the new Model S and X).

Even fewer buttons. Credit: Tesla

Some key features of the car haven't changed. For example, the 0-100 km/h time for the Long Range version is still 4.4 seconds. However, the top speed is now listed as 201 km both for the Rear-Wheel Drive variant and the Long Range variant, which is a significant decrease from before, when these figures were 225 km/h and 233 km/h.

Notably, the Performance version isn't available at all right now; only the Rear-Wheel Drive and the Long Range model are on offer.

We're sure that, when these vehicles start hitting the roads, we'll learn about numerous other, minor changes to the Tesla Model 3. But even this overview based on Tesla's website shows that this is an absolutely massive upgrade that goes beyond a mere facelift, typical for the industry.

As for the price, it appears to be the same as before. In Germany, the Rear-Wheel Drive variant starts at 42,990 EUR, while the Long Range version starts at 51,990 EUR. The estimated delivery varies by country, but it's mostly listed as Sept-Oct, or Oct-Nov 2023.

TopicsTesla